If you've been watching Netflix's hit drama 13 Reasons Why [1], you can't miss hunky jock Jeff Atkins [2]. We first meet Jeff in season one flashbacks, before he passes away in a car accident the night of Jessica's party [3]. We know his character is dead-on-arrival, but the flashbacks Clay Jensen [4] has of him throughout the first season helped him compartmentalize his feelings following Hannah's suicide. Jeff is a very important figure [5] in Clay's life. This begs the question: does his memory live on to help Clay make peace with his current circumstances?

Brandon Larracuente, who plays the role of Jeff Atkins, makes his return of the second season in episode seven, "The Third Polaroid." Atkins's memory is brought back to light with a brief memorial on campus with his former baseball teammates. He's also back in flashbacks Clay has while testifying during Hannah's trial from a night they spent together taking the drug Molly. We see that it is Atkins who offers Clay and Hannah the drug while hanging out with fellow classmates, Alex Standall [6] and Sheri Holland [7].

Larracuente's beloved character often helps Clay move out of his comfort zone, whether it's encourageing him to talk to girls or be more social amongst their peers. We come to find that his actions in this episode ultimately lead to a key clue [8] that indicates Hannah Baker may have been suffering from depression prior to her death.

It appears that Jeff's character has ultimately served his purpose, as episode seven is Larracuente's only appearance this season. Even though his character never appears in present-day scenes, his memory lives on in our hearts as Liberty High's most charming athlete.